A global study shows that 87% of workers dread returning their workplace after having had a break.  Their anxiety encompasses more than the so-called post-vacation blues; it stretches across regaining the discipline they’ll need to get back into a routine (37%), catching up on admin (31%), overcoming feelings of overwhelm (27%), and getting through their cluttered inboxes (26%).

Executive Head of Healthcare Consulting at financial advisory firm NMG Benefits, says that employers can – and should – put measures in place to help their people settle in and find their mojo again before their anxiety morphs into real depression and burnout.

“Employee assistance programmes (EAPs) show tangible results. When implemented properly, EAPs can help workers to manage their stress, benefit from confidential counselling, reconnect with the workplace culture, and take fewer sick days.”

But employers can go above and beyond EAPs to help ease their people into the new working year. In fact, 83% of employees report that high-level interventions like the provision of lists detailing time-sensitive priorities, reports on how projects performed while they off, and a reduced expectation for meetings for a few days while they catch up, go a long way towards turning the blues into feelings that everything is ‘just peachy’.

I’d like to offer you an opportunity to chat with Gary about the real cost of workplace absenteeism due to mental health, and to unpack the critical role that employers play in supporting their people through a challenging reintegration into the office.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you and your audience and I will arrange the interview logistics.

Looking forward to hearing back from you.